Draft rigging



Ap' 28, 1925. Y

' l. O. WRIGHT DRAFT RIGGING- 'Original Filed April 29 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 '2 sheets-sheet a, I

'1. o. WRIGHT DRAFT RIGGING '-original Filed Apri1f29 Ap 2s, 1925.

gnwntoi Reissued Apr. 28l 1925.

UNITED STATES Re.15,o51

PATENT oFFlcE.

IRA O. WRIGHT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

v TO THE SYMINGTON COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

DRAFT RIGGING.

Original No. 1,457,278, dated* May 29, 1923,` Serial No. 377,477, filed April 29, v1920. Application for reissue l'ed February 7, 1925. eria1 Io. 7,688.

To all-whom it may concer-1.1.:

Be it known that I, IRA O. WRIGHT, a citien of the United States of America, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland,

' have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Rigging, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to draft rigging for railway cars and more particularly to thatv class of draft rigging especially designed for application to the. underframes of freight cars, a'nd consists in providing, in combination withthe car sills, new and useful improvement-s for connecting the coupler to the cushioning mechanism and for connecting the cushioning mechanism to the car underframe so as to produce a simple, strong, eiiicient and reliable draft ringing.

.To this end, the mainy eatures of my invention, broadly considered, consist in providin in combination with a slidably connecte yoke and coupler,vafront stop mechanism adapted to provide a plurality of spaced points of supportv for the forward follower'of the cushioning mechanism, and a rear stop member so constructed and arran d as to suitably brace the cushioning meceanism and connected parts and `to transmit excessive loads to the car underframe without detriment to the latter. The invention further consists in the various elements and combinations of elements hereinafter set forth, thel novel features of the invention being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

Referring to the drawings, wherein a specific embodiment of the invention has been illust-rated Figure 1 is a view half in vplan and half in horizontal section of the center draft sills casting, end sill, and coupler carry iron bein shown in section.

iigure 4 is a transverse sectional view on line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a similar Figure 1.

view on line 5 5 of Figure is a transverse sectional view onl line 6 6 of Figure 1, the arrows adjacent the ends of the section lines 4- 4, 5 5 and 6 6, indicating the direction in which these sections are viewed.

Figure 7 is a top plan view illustrating a slight modification in the form of yoke and rear stop mechanism from that shown in Figure 1. y

Figure 8 is a central longitudinal vertical section of the structure shown in Figure 7.

Throughout the specification and drawings like parts are designated by like reference characters.

'lhe Achannel center sills of the car construction are designated by the reference numeral 1. 2 indicates the end sills, 3 a concoupler carry iron. may be of any suitable or desirable construction. Each sill 1 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots, and to the inner Vface of each sill is' connected a cheek plate or front stop casting 5 each of which 'is provided with a pair of slots 6 and 7 which are adapted, when the cheek plates are in position, to register with said slots in the sills 1. Each cheek plate may be provided with a boss 8 on the outer face thereof, said bosses being adapted to surround the edges of the slots 6 and 7 and to extend through the slots in the center sillsv 1.. On their inner or adjacent faces the cheek plates are provided with inwardly extending lips or flanges 9 which surround the side edges of the slot 6, and if desired these flanges 9 may be cut away as at 10 so as to provide clearance spaces for the side faces of the yoke hereinafter described. The Irear slots V7 of each cheek plate are also provided with inwardly directed flanges 11x similar to those hereinbefore described with reference to the slots 6, and spaced from the rear edge of each flange 11 and preferably connectedl thereto by the webs 12, each of the said lates is provided with an inwardly directed ange 13. Ifdesired, the to and bottom edges of this flange 13 ma reinforced byL the flan es 14 clearly s own in Figures 1 and 3. Eac cheek late'is firmly secured to the adjacent sill y means of a plurality of rivets 15.

Located between the sills is the yoke or coupler connecting means 16 which is pref- -ventional form of striking casting, and 4 a All of the said parts erably n off the so-called vertical type, and

which is provided at its forward end with at the points 10 as hereinbefore described.r

The key 2,0 is adapted to slidably connect the coupler 21 to the said yoke 16, the said key in the normal position of the gear engaging the rear wall of the slot 22 in the coupler andengaging at its forward edges .against the forward ends of the lslots 18 in the said yoke head, the said key being also adapted to extend through the slots 6in the cheek plates and normally positioned at an intermediate point in the slots. It may here be noted that in the normal position of the parts the 'rear end of the slots 18 and the rear end of the slots 6 coincide. This construction permits an inward movement of the coupler 'independent of the yoke under bufling stresses. Seated between the arms of the yoke 1-6 and engaging the rear end of the colipler stem is a slotted follower orl filler block 23, the said block being provided with akey slot 24, and it may becored out as shown at 25 to lighten the same without detrimenty to its strength.' A second key 26 is adapted to pass through'thepslot 24 and have its end portions extend through the cheek plate slots 7, and in the normal position of theparts the forward edges of this key engage abutments formed by the forward extremities of the said slots 7. The rea; wall 27 of the.hlock 23 normally pro- Ajects a slight distance beyond the vertical end walls'fof the flanges 13 formed on the cheek plates.

At'a 'suitable distance in rear ofvthe'cheek plates I provide a rear stop member 28 which may also form the center filler between thel outwardly extending portions of the bolster 29. The said stop member may be provided with forwardly extending follower enga ing lugs 30 which are suitably braced byt e webs and flanges 31, and, intermediate these stop lugs 30 the stop member is also preferably provided with an abutting face 32 which is also suitably braced by a plurality j'of vertically extending webs 33 and a transversely extending web 34. It will of course be understood that the combined back stop and center filler is suitably connected jto the adjacent sills. by means of rivets 35, and preferably some of these rivets also servefto connect the vertical members of" the bolster 29 to the adjacent sill faces.

The top and bottom webs 31 are preferably extended laterally and joined to the side w'alls of the casting 28 so as to form respectively the upper and lower horizontal Walls therefor. Likewise the transversely extending web 34 is continued in effect forward of the flange 32 by the laterally extendingcentrally disposed webs 31 which merge into the stop faces 30. It will be evident that these stop lugs 30 are braced at'th'e top and bottom respectively, by extensions from the upper wall and the lower wallor floor web of the casting and at the center by the extensions from the builing floor or web 34V of the said casting. Interto manufacture since the opening between I the lsaid wall and the web v34 permits the ready removal of the cores used in the productlon of the casting. The rear :end of the yoke 16 isnormallyl preferably spaced a slight distance from the face 32 of the stop casting 28.

Within the yoke arms and bearing at its forward end against the face 27 of the block 23 and at its rear end against the inner face of the rear wall of the yoke, is the cushionvingnnechanism 36 which is only diagrammatically illustrated and which comprises a front follower 37, a rear follower 38 and -any suitable cushioningl mechanism, interposed between the said followers. In the normal position of the parts as illustrated in Figure 1 it will be seen that the rear follower 38 engages the forward faces of the stop lugs 30, and the front follower engages the rear face 27 of the block 23. Under bufling movements the coupler is moved rear'- Wardly and forces with it the block 23 which in turn moves 'the frontV follower 37 and transmits the load to the cushioning mechanism '36 which in turn is supported lby the rear follower 38 and the 'stop lugs 30. .On a forward movement the yoke and coupler move together andthe load4 is transmitted from the yoke to the cushionin mechanism and from the latter to the bock 23 and through the key -26 to the car sills. It often happens that the loads to which a draft rigging is subjected. exceed the capacity of the cushioning mechanism and cause a bending of the followers of the draft rigging. My construction is particularly designed to afford efficient means for absorbing Without detriment to the `car this excessive overload.' Should the bulling load exceed the capacity ofthe cushioning mechanism and cause 1 vthe follower 38 to bend, the reai' end of the yoke will engage the abutting face of the rear vstop 28 and the load willibe cai'- v ried atA three spaced points, namelythe stop lugs 3() and .the abutting face 32. If the excessive load is caused by draft stiains which would bend the key 26 any bending movement of this key would immediately permit the follower 37 to engage the stop faces 13 of the cheek plates and the excessive load be again transmitted to th'e car sills at four spaced points.

Figures 7 and 8 show a slight modificaion of lthe 'rear stop member, and in these figures the rear end of the yoke 39 is pro'- vided withl a plurality of spaced walls 40 which are connected by a plurality of vertically extending webs 41 and a transversely extending web 42, the said structure forining a strong 'load-transmitting member which is adapted normally to contact the abutting face 43 provided on the back lstop 44.` In this form of my device the, entire bufling load isA transmitted directly to the central portion of the back stop, and lugs, such as 30 hereinbefore described, are not employed. In both forms of my device 1 have illustrated the yoke supported at an intermediate point by a. conventional form of carry iron 45 which may be connected to the lower outstanding flanges of the sills 1 in any suitable manner. For convenience, the carry iron 45 is shown connected by means of a plurality of'l'ioltst'i?A Having now'fully. described my invention, although it lis` to'be understood thatwthe` -words used are .to be taken in their descriptive and not in their limiting sense, what I claim and desire to secure by' Letters Patent, is:

1. In a draft rigging, the combination -with center sills, of acoupler, a yoke slidably connected thereto, a cushioning mechanism within the yoke, a block interposed between the coupler and said mechanism and movable in one direction with the said cou ler, means for connecting said block to t ie said sills, said 'means yserving to trans- `mit draft strains thereto, and `means carried abutments, said means beingmovable b excessive draft strains to permit said cu ioning mechanism to contact with said abutments.

3. In a draft rigging, the combination with car sills, of cheek vplates connected to the adjacent faces of said sills, each of Ysaid cheek plates being provided with a plurality of spaced abutments, one ofl said abutiiieiits on each of said plates being adapted 'to receive draft strains and the other of said abut-ments being adapted toy engage a movable element of the cushioning mechanism under excessive draft strains.

4. In al draft-rigging, the `'combination with center sills and a coupler, of a yoke vslidably connected to said coupler, av cushf ioning mechanism within the yoke, means interposed between the coupler and-cushioning mechanism adapted to transmit butf- F1'- ing forces to said mechanism, and adapted to transmit draft'forces to the said sills, and stops carried by the said sills, said stops being adapted to engage the said mechanism under excessive draft strains.k

5. In a draft rigging, the combination with`center sills, a coupler, a vertical yoke slidably connected thereto, of slotted cheek plates connected to the adjacent faces of said sills, a cushioning mechanism within 5K the yoke, and means carried by the said sills and interposed between the coupler and cushioning` mechanism for 'transmitting draft vforces to the said sills and transmittingbuti'- ing forces to the said mechanism, and stops carried by the'said cheek plates, said stops being adapted to engage the cushioning lmechanism under excessive draft strains to rea-r stop.

7. In a draft' rigging, the combination with center sills, .of front stop members connected thereto, a rear stop member and a second 'supplemental stop member. positioned in rear thereof and connected to the said sills, a coupler, a yoke slidably connected thereto, cushionin mechanism within the yoke and arrange between said first named stop members, said mechanism being normally adapted to engage one of the said stop members and being spaced from the other, and means carried by the sills and interposed between the-coupler and cushioning mechanism for transmitting draft forces to said sills, said 'other stop member being adapted" to en age the cushionin ymecha'- nism when the draft strains exceed t e capacity of said means.

8. In a draft riggin the combination with car sills, of a coup er, a. key connected .18

stresses from said follower to said stop` members in a different plane.

l0. In a' draft rigging, the combination with slotted center sills, slotted cheek plates connected to said sills, of a coupler, a yoke.

having a hooded forward end adapted .to re` ceive said coupler, the arms of said yoke being disposed in spaced horizontal planes, a key for operatively connecting the coupler and yoke, a slotted follower positioned in rear of said coupler, and a key pass-ing through said follower, said key being slidably received in said cheek plate slots, the arms ofsaid yoke being spaced above and below said follower key.

11. In a draft rigging, the combination with slotted center sills having cheek plates connected thereto, each of said cheek plates being provided with ay plurality of spaced horizontally disposed slots therein, of a slotted coupler, a hooded vertical yoke having elongated slots in Said hood portion, means comprising a horizontally dis osed key foislidably connecting Said coup er and yoke, portions of said key being slidably received in one of said slots in each plate, a vslotted follower normally adapted to engage said coupler, and means passing through said follower and the second slot in each cheek plate, said means being adapted to support said follower and to transmit to said cheek plates draft strains imposed upon said yoke y said coupler.

12. In a draft rigging, the combination withl slotted center sills, of cheek plates connected to said sills, said cheek plates each liavnga pair of spaced horizontally disposed slots therein, ahooded vertically arranged yoke located between said sills, a coupler, means including a transversely arranged key for slidably connecting said coupler and yoke, portions of said key being adapted to extend within the forward slot of each of Said cheek plates, aV cushioning mechanism within the yoke, a slotted follower interposed between the cushioning mechanism and the rear of said coupler, and a second vkey extending through the rearward slots of said cheek plates and through said follower, said last named key being spaced vertically from said yoke arms and adapted to transmit draft forces imposed upon said yoke by said coupler to the said sills in aline'inent with the webs thereof.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

IRA O. WRIGHT. 

